N.J. Cash 5 lottery player uses very lucky numbers

A Williamstown, New Jersey, woman who insists "I'm not lucky" won the New Jersey Cash 5 jackpot of $545,559 March 2 after hitting four of five numbers in the same lottery game a mind-altering 13 times in 16 months.

The woman, who requested her name not be used, purchased her winning ticket at Corner Food Market in Washington Township.

She watched her five numbers — 5, 13, 25, 28 and 38 — picked live on Channel 23.

According to a lottery spokesman, the $545,559 makes "the top 10" in Cash 5 payoffs since the rollover system was put into play. The New Jersey record for a Cash 5 is $1.2 million in February 2004. When a Cash 5 is won, the following night's jackpot restarts at $50,000. Average Cash 5 payoff is $170,000 according to lottery agents.

The Gloucester County mother of five would not reveal the net payout but said she afforded herself one luxury, a new car, and planned to use most of the balance to pay off bills. Her husband has been ill and out of work.

If 5-of-5 isn't staggering enough, the Cash 5 winner also hit four of the same five numbers that same night plus 3-of-5 on 11 other lines for an additional $600-plus. So who's counting?

As recently as last Saturday she won $623 hitting 4-of-5 in the Cash 5. That's no April Fool's joke.

And she also hit 4-of-5 12 other times in a little over a year.

It's major vindication, too. She planned to play 13, 14, 23, 34 and 35 on other occasion but didn't get to the store in time. The numbers hit and one other player collected $132,000. Otherwise, they'd have split the bounty.

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BAD NEWS: Using such numbers will probably have you getting much less than the normal jackpot because people share number sets. If enough people hear those numbers the next time they hit for 4 of 5 the payout will be like 100 dollars and maybe 4 or 5 K for the jackpot.

I once had all 5 numbers.. but when they checked it I thought I goofed and had 4 numbers, but they turned out to be popular numbers.

PS - I do wish that nj would add a payout for 2 of 5, even if it's only a dollar or a free ticket.